Language and Acting

This week I started a new module at language school called reading and writing.
Sounds easy but it isn't Here is a sample of what I had to read aloud in class today and understand

ঢাকা বাংলাদেশের রাজধানী | এটা বাংলাদেশের মাঝখানে সবচেয়ে বড় ,ও সুন্দর শহর | এর দ্ক্কিনদেকে দুরিন্ন্ধা নদী আছে |

It seems like the difficulty of my class has jumped a few levels. On the plus side it has made me come home and do a lot of study.
It seems like Bangla is now everywhere, even the headings on the page I type my blog on has switched to Bangla script. I have also been asked to teach a one off health class to slum school children in Bangla.

It is really good though because I have been praying for opportunities to take my language learning up a gear :) Won't be praying that again for a while.

On the plus side I have noticed my conversational Bangla improving, and recently have had several good conversations with locals in Bangla.

Last week I also acted for a Bangla TV show the show is called ইত্যাদি (etc) and every year it does a comedy special with all foreign actors which airs after Ramadan. This year the scene is on a Dhaka bus. All the characters are foreigners including the bus driver ( who did do some driving), a women vomiting out the window, and various hawkers selling things on the bus.

I played a women who was yelling at a male passenger sitting in a woman's seat. I should get a copy of the segment on DVD - but not sure that any one will get to see it just yet.....

Life has been good the past week - no more yelling at rickshaw drivers - I move house on Friday which I am looking forward to.
Thanks for reading

Feeling Super Holy or NOT!!!

There is something deep down in my subconscious that thinks all Christians are holy but somehow manage to be way more Holy on their way to church during church and returning home.

This last Friday (that is the day I go to church here) I proved that this so is not the case :)

So to put thing into context I get a rickshaw to church it usually cost between 30 and 40 Taka depending on how long I bargain for.

So I am running late for church (nothing to unusual) I start to look for a rickshaw the first rickshaw wallah asks for 150 Taka - I respond in Bangla saying no way too expensive.

I go to the next rickshaw wallah by this time I am a little mad (how dare he try to charge me 150 Taka doesn't he know that I know how much it should be)

The next rickshaw wall quoted me 100 Taka well I didn't hold back this time. I yelled at him in Bangla quite loudly. He came down in price straight away and offered to take me for the 30 Taka which was reasonable.

I responded by saying no I will walk you are not a good person for saying that price etc etc

Kind loving patient Christian totally coming to the surface

I walk for about 10mins and get on a rickshaw who is willing to go for the right price.

The whole ride I am getting more and more mad about what happened.

By the time I arrive at church I am fuming such a small issue made me so mad.

Most funny thing was we were studying the Holy Spirit and one of the things mentioned was that our lives demonstrate how much of God we have let in. This happens in the way we react to those around us and in the way we treat others.

WHOOPS

So good to know that I can come to church with my issues and frustrations and the realness of life and not have to pretend I have it all together cause God sure knows I don't.

Church is the place I can come to be filled afresh and renewed to carry on living in the knowledge of a God who loves and forgives.